The San Jose Sharks managed to snap the Anaheim Ducks' seven-game winning streak, but there was way more to the game than what happened on the scoreboard. An equally big story was what the score sheet looked like afterwards.
There were 165 penalty minutes between the two teams with multiple fights and several ejections, particularly in the third period when the game devolved into an all-out melee it seemed.
Here’s how the rough stuff transpired throughout the night.
The first fight came in the first period with Sharks enforcer John Scott squaring up with defenseman Tim Jackman for a scrap.
The peace was kept until the second period when Sharks rookie Mirco Mueller and Ryan Getzlaf were prepared to fight before officials intervened. Then it was Corey Perry and Tommy Wingels that let frustrations boil over at the end of the second and engaged in a spirited bout.
Then the third period came around and things just got nutty.
Joe Pavelski and Ben Lovejoy scrapped halfway through the third. Other players on the ice were mixing it up as well. Just a few minutes later, Perry and Justin Braun got misconducts for roughing and hit the showers.
Then the really bad stuff came along with 6:04 remaining in the third. Sharks forward Adam Burish and Scott each got tossed, while Jackman and Nate Thompson of the Ducks got sent to the dressing rooms after just about everyone on the ice got into it.
Scott came directly off the bench to engage Jackman, so he got two misconducts on the play. After the play was already blown dead, Burish went after Andrew Cogliano and Thompson jumped in. Various other players from each team were involved including Ducks goalie Frederik Andersen who was holding Tomas Hertl back.
Among the penalties, Scott got a game misconduct for leaving the bench to join a fight. While Scott appeared to be making a legitimate line change, it is pretty clear he left the bench for the purpose of starting a fight as his eyes were glued to Jackman. Here's another look at it via @myregularface:
That would appear to be in violation of Rule 70.2: A player who has entered the game on a legal line change or legally from the penalty bench (penalty time has expired) who starts an altercation may be subject to discipline in accordance with Rule 28, Supplemental discipline.
Scott is probably looking at a suspension as a result.
For good measure, there was one more fight to end the game when Getzlaf and James Sheppard dropped the gloves before the final buzzer would mercifully sound. Matt Beleskey and Ryan Kesler of the Ducks also go misconducts at the end, leaving Anaheim with only six players on the bench.
Here’s what the third period box score looked like for penalties:
That’s a long list.
The Sharks earned a 4-1 win, but who's going to remember that?
